


The Phantom and the Private Eye

by melonsoju



Category: The Boyz (Korea Band)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, Slow Build, Slow Burn, it's literally buzzfeed unsolved but tbz, murder mystery tbh, younghoon is a little shit sometimes but it's great
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 12:06:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29207073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melonsoju/pseuds/melonsoju
Summary: Lee Juyeon, the top private detective in the greater Seoul metropolitan area, takes on a case that would change the course of his life forever: a case involving a knife to the neck, no leads and a very pesky (yet endearing) ghost.
Relationships: Bae Joonyoung | Jacob/Lee Jaehyun | Hyunjae, Kim Younghoon/Lee Juyeon (The Boyz)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	1. The First Encounter

Lee Juyeon was known to be practical. 

Practicality ruled every facet of his life, from the way he woke up in his pristine white sheets to the way he drank his coffee: black, with no cream or sugar, and always in the thermos that he carried to his work for the last 5 years. He was meticulous, well organized, and evidence of these were seen in everything he did. 

Ji Changmin, his assistant detective, called his mannerisms robotic, but Juyeon couldn’t trust the chocolate haired man with anything, not when he frequently tracked mud into the office they shared in downtown Seoul and his diet consisted of too little fiber and too much tteokbokki. He would much rather be robotic than stoop to that level at work. 

Which is how Juyeon found himself making his daily commute to work on the line that had the least amount of traffic, one hand holding on a rail in the subway car while the other scrolled through his inbox, slender digits sorting through the emails that seemed to go for miles. 

He was busy ignoring the various emails from Lee Hyunjae, the leader of the Seoul Special Operations Unit and the bane of his existence, when he was jostled by the commuter standing in front of him, the burly man bowing his head in apology and Juyeon doing the same to him before looking back at his phone, his eyes scanning his cell phone screen but his ears picking up the light tin of a voice issuing through small speakers. 

The man in front of him was wearing earphones, and the volume was turned up so loud that Juyeon could hear what he was listening to. It took a bit of earpower, but he could discern a few words. Namely, “crime”, and “no leads”. It piqued Juyeon’s interest for a few seconds before he shook away his questions with a light tilt of his head; his job may rely on curiosity, but he wouldn’t want to be the cat who met its untimely demise because of it. He had more important things to do, like stepping off at his subway stop and immediately being accosted by Changmin, whom he met at this stop and walked with the rest of the way to work. 

The brunette was in an unusually chipper mood for this hour, greeting Juyeon in his light lilting tone before barraging him with questions, ranging from how he slept to if there were any cases that Hyunjae sent him that needed to be solved (Juyeon dodged the question about Hyunjae and cases before responding that he slept well, to which Changmin replied “all bundled up in your matching pajamas” with a soft smirk). 

Juyeon found himself sinking into easy conversation with his assistant, the two discussing cases that they were working on and various leads as they meandered through the crowd that frequented the train station every morning. It was, at its core, a completely normal day, and Juyeon was grateful that nothing too crazy of the sort had occurred. At least, not yet.

And for a moment, Juyeon was so preoccupied with listening to Changmin prattle on about his newest case and taking sips of his coffee that he nearly missed the figure leaning against the train station wall, but for a split second their eyes met. 

For once in his life, Juyeon’s acute mind grinded to a halt, all his attention on the other’s eyes, their doe-like softness making Juyeon’s head spin and his chest tighten with something akin to anticipation. But Juyeon couldn’t stare forever; his eyes stung with the effort of keeping them open in the cold weather, and finally he blinked a few times, aiming to get a glimpse of the figure again. But the figure was gone, and as quickly as it came, it took Juyeon’s curiosity with it.

“We’ve been getting a lot of homicides lately,” Changmin hummed softly, clear rimmed eyeglasses perched on his nose as he sorted through the mountain of manila folders on his desk. 

In the office they shared, Juyeon and Changmin had their own system of organizing their cases; while Juyeon kept them all organized in the cloud, Changmin kept them in physical files which he organized into various file cabinets, swearing to the heavens on their effectiveness. He hadn’t mishandled a case even once, so Juyeon let it slide, the shuffling of papers joining the ticking of the wall clock and keeping a steady background beat to the two detectives’ work.

“I noticed that around June, July and August we get a lot more murders than normal. Perhaps everyone’s just under pressure because of the weather,” Juyeon replied as he scanned a picture in a case file for leads. “Getting this many murders in the dead of winter is a sign of someone who is clinically insane, a serial killer, or both. Why anyone would try to murder in this chilly weather and waste energy like that is beyond me.”

“There you go again with your taciturn assumptions,” Changmin chuckled, getting up to put a file away before returning to his desk and packing a small briefcase. “You’re the one who told me to never make assumptions about anything, and here you are being a hypocrite. Regardless of how amusing they are, practice what you preach, boss. Now then, I’m going to head down to the station and talk to Hyunjae for a moment. And don’t say that you’ll do that eventually,” Changmin chided as he walked through the door. 

The other male turned for a moment and flashed a bright smile at Juyeon, who was just about to retort back. “I know you won’t. What I don’t understand is why. I mean, you and Hyunjae are still close, right? What’s so embarrassing about seeing him? It’s not like you’ve never been in compromised positions with him, right? He’s seen you naked at least ONCE-”

“Changmin, I suggest you head over to see Hyunjae now unless you want to lose your job,” Juyeon groaned, rubbing his temple as he fixed his assistant with a pointed glare. 

Almost immediately Changmin turned on his heel, bolting out and leaving Juyeon alone in the office, the ticking clock the only thing keeping him company as he took a break from work and stretched his arms above his head, a soft noise escaping his lips as he rolled out his neck before setting his arms down and leaning back in his seat, eyes trained up at the ceiling in thought.

Yes, it was true that Hyunjae had known Juyeon for a long time and he had seen Juyeon in many positions, the most recent one being him sprawled across the bedsheets in his apartment, but both of them preferred not to talk about that. Those events were far behind them, occurring back when Hyunjae was still reeling from his breakup with his first love and Juyeon was yearning to feel something other than apathy. 

Nevertheless, it was still embarrassing and almost humbling for Juyeon to go see him, and Juyeon still had a firm grip on his pride. So while Juyeon outwardly protested against Changmin’s musings, he was secretly glad that his assistant went to see Hyunjae every time Juyeon had to. 

Slowly, the detective’s eyes fluttered closed; despite him telling Changmin that he slept well the night before, he was still tired, the all nighters from all his years of schooling and training somehow catching up to him at that very moment. He would take a nap until Changmin came back, he decided, and then he would get back to work. A nap wouldn’t do him any harm.

That nap was short lived, though, as a thud resounded through the room, Juyeon bolting up and looking for the source of the sound before locating it: the travel mug of coffee that he always brought to work was toppled on the ground, the strong brew seeping into the cream colored carpet.

Normally, Juyeon would’ve just cleaned up the stain with no hesitation and gotten along with his day, but something about this situation was decidedly wrong. For starters, the travel mug wasn’t even on the edge of the table before it ended up on the floor; it was securely placed at the center of the table by Juyeon’s laptop. Secondly, as Juyeon studied the spill pattern, he quickly deduced that there was no way it could’ve toppled and haphazardly fallen to the ground; it looked like someone poured it on the carpet before throwing the travel mug on top. 

It was an unsettling realization, and as Juyeon cleaned up the stain to the best of his ability and reviewed the security footage only to see that there was no one in the office but himself, he couldn’t help the slight shiver that went down his spine. He didn’t like things that seemed to be out of reach for his logical and analytical mind, but he chose to forget what had just happened and just take his nap in peace. His eyes closed yet again, and all was still and quiet.

“Poor carpet… It got all stained for nothing.”

“What do you mean for nothing, you weren’t even th-” Juyeon started, assuming that Changmin was back from seeing Hyunjae, only to open his eyes in confusion when he registered the voice to be nothing like his assistant’s. 

Sitting back up, his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as he saw the figure sitting in the seat across from him, his legs easily draped along Juyeon’s desk. He was dressed in attire too light for the Seoul winter; there was no way that a simple sweatshirt and joggers could provide any warmth in the snow. His hair was perfectly tousled across his forehead in a way Juyeon could never get his hair to imitate and the color of freshly made hot chocolate, and as Juyeon stared, the figure shook his locks out and raked a hand through it, almost as if this was a completely normal situation and Juyeon wasn’t reevaluating all of the security measures he had put in place for the last 5 years. But more than the sweatshirt and the hair, Juyeon couldn’t shake off the figure’s eyes. They were soft and doe like, and exactly like the ones that he had seen that morning in the train station. Except now they were filled with annoyance rather than curiosity like before.

“It really did get stained for nothing, though!” The man retorted back, his delicate features molding into a look of exasperation. “I spilled some perfectly fine coffee that you would have drank, burned my fingers in the process, and ruined this expensive looking carpet, and all I get in return is you returning to your beauty sleep? I thought getting living people’s attention was easier than this, or are you one of those weird exceptions who aren’t phased by anything-” The man paused as he finally got a good look at Juyeon’s face, his expression shifting from indignation to amusement. “Ah, forgive me, I must’ve really startled you. My name’s Kim Younghoon, and I humbly request your services. I really need them. Please.”

It took a bit of time, but the mere mention of work broke Juyeon out of his little reverie, and he immediately straightened up and pulled his laptop closer to him in order to start a new case file. “Of course,” He replied, almost robotically, as he opened up a new document and looked at Younghoon, eyes urging him to go on. “What exactly do you need me to do? Is there something you’re looking for in particular?”

“As a matter of fact, yes!” Younghoon replied, his voice gaining a few octaves due to excitement. “It’s of the utmost importance. I need you to find out who did this to me,” he continued, his hand reaching up to the collar of his sweatshirt and pulling it aside, exposing his neck and collarbone. There was a slight hesitation in the way he did so, but Younghoon’s eyes were hopeful and bright, a complete 180 from Juyeon’s as he stared at the man’s skin.

Juyeon had been around many crime scenes before, but nothing in his career prepared him for the sight of a massive chef’s knife buried to the hilt in Younghoon’s neck, blood coagulating around the entry point and bruises mottling the pale skin. As he stared at the wound, Juyeon’s normally calm and collected demeanor vanished, and with trembling hands he began to hunt for his cell phone and a first aid kit, his eyes flicking from the wound to Younghoon’s happy face back to the wound again. “Mr. Kim, I’m going to call an ambulance, please stay with me, okay?” He said shakily, his fingers scrambling across his cell phone screen and punching 911 on the keypad.

“What do you mean ‘stay with you’?” Younghoon questioned back, his eyebrows raising as he watched Juyeon freak out. “I’m right here with you, Mr. Lee. You don’t need to call an ambulance either… Unless you want to be diagnosed with psychosis and be out of a job.”

At that, Juyeon paused, looking back at Younghoon with confusion and a hint of fear in his eyes and his thumb hovering over the call button. “And why is that?” He asked, his expression only getting more confused as Younghoon covered up his wound with his sweatshirt and leaned back in his seat, his expression one of complete calm.

“I’m already dead.”

“I’m telling you, it was real!” Juyeon whined angrily, slamming down his 5th shot glass of the night. His cheeks were painfully red, and as he reached for the 6th shot of soju, his vision blurred and he swayed a little bit, only to be steadied by a strong arm.

“Slow down, tiger,” Lee Sangyeon, Juyeon’s older brother, counseled with a laugh. “One more move and you’re going to be hammered.” Making sure Juyeon was sitting upright, he took a sip of his whiskey, his eyes lingering on his younger brother with interest. 

Sangyeon had always been the more sociable of the two siblings, embarking on a successful career as a politician while Juyeon carved out his own path in criminal justice through sheer grit. He was used to his younger brother being cold and analytical to a fault, so when he got a call from a tipsy Juyeon to come and enjoy a few (read: many) drinks with him, he knew something was up. 

“I don’t care,” Juyeon grumbled, propping up his head and regarding Sangyeon with a look of annoyance, further emphasized by the little hiccups he let out every so often. “It was so real and so terrifying, I didn’t know what to make of it. I took his details anyway, and he left and, here I am, drinking my ass off at a pub over some cheap fried chicken because I can. Is there anything wrong with that? Is there?”

“There definitely isn’t, but I didn’t catch everything he told you,” Sangyeon said sheepishly. In reality, he just wanted to hear the story again, because he was more than 100% that Juyeon was suffering from psychosis and would need some medical help as soon as possible; he already had the hospital on speed dial. “What exactly were his circumstances?”

“Well…” Juyeon hummed, picking up his empty soju glass and filling it with soju before taking a measured sip. “He told me that he was already dead, and when I asked why, he just said ‘You think I could survive this much bodily injury? Do you think I’m the Hulk or something?’ He was too sassy for his own good, I’m sure if Mom heard his tone she would slap him.”

At the mention of their mother, Sangyeon couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped his lips. Their mother was a force to be reckoned with, and it was due to her that both Sangyeon and Juyeon got their characteristic determination and intelligence. Sangyeon couldn’t imagine their mother ever slapping a ghost, but he knew that their mother would find a way to land a punch or two on a fully transparent being. Taking a sip of his drink to clear his throat, he gestured for Juyeon to continue, and Juyeon did so, after taking a sip of his own drink. 

“ Anyways, I asked him to clarify, and he said he was a ghost.. ‘a phantom’, specifically. He then told me his entire life story, from birth to death. It was a bit boring, I’m not going to lie. But he then told me that on this day 3 years ago, he was stabbed in his sleep by an unknown assailant and he died. He then became a ghost, but for some reason, he can’t pass on; he’s stuck on earth until something happens. He thinks that whoever is controlling his ability to pass on wants him to solve his own murder, and he had been trying for years and years, but couldn’t find a lead. Even the police gave up on his case, since he didn’t have any family or friends who were willing to push them to continue the investigation; sounds like he was either disowned or emancipated, I don’t know, he didn’t clarify. But he found out about me.” 

Juyeon’s brows furrowed for probably the millionth time that day as he mulled over how in the world Younghoon found him. Did he see an advertisement? Did Changmin put up one of those promo posters around the city again without Juyeon’s permission and Younghoon saw it? Did he use a Yellow pages? “I don’t know how he did it, but he did, and he came directly to me to see if I could help. And that’s basically it. He’s not even paying me, can you believe him? If I’m going to be helping a phantom, he might as well get me brownie points with heaven, right?”

Throughout Juyeon’s entire explanation, Sangyeon could only stare at his younger brother in absolute shock, wondering how in the world his intelligent sibling could end up with his mind so addled. “Juyeon, I can still call the hospital if you want,” He said gently, reaching out to pat Juyeon’s hair. “They can help you there, I’m sure,” he continued softly, only for Juyeon to shove his hand off his head with a loud huff.

“I’m telling you hyung, he’s real! He even has a name and everything! Kim Younghoon, died at age 23, pale skin, coffee colored hair, super delicate features like a doll, and big eyes. Like, they’re huge. I saw them when I was in the train station and I literally had to stop and stare because they were so massive. But his attitude sucks, I don’t know why I helped him, he’s so-“ Juyeon raged only to sway in his seat, the alcohol finally making its way to his brain. 

“Easy there, kiddo,” Sangyeon laughed, carefully picking Juyeon up and helping him walk over to Sangyeon’s waiting car. “That’s enough alcohol for the night. I’m going to get you home and make sure Mom doesn’t freak out, okay? You know how she is. You need sleep and some hangover soup, and I’ll get that to you in the morning. But for now, let’s get you into bed. Sounds good?”

Juyeon could only groan in agreement, the alcohol in his veins making him sleepier than he would’ve liked to admit. From that moment on, everything became foggy for him; he only remembered the hum of the car’s engine as it drove him home, the soft voice of his older brother as he tutted at Juyeon’s living conditions (Juyeon kept his apartment spotless, but Sangyeon always frowned at the lack of warmth; he always insisted that Juyeon get a cat or some sort of pet to keep him company), and the sinking warmth of being covered in his comforter. Juyeon found himself falling into the deepest sleep that he’d ever experienced, the stress melting from his body for the first time in months. 

All was still and quiet in his apartment that night, and all would be normal too, if it weren’t for the dark shadow that settled in the corner of Juyeon’s room, taking the faint shape of a figure before melting into nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> first tbz fic!!!! also my first chaptered fic!!!! *the audience applauds*
> 
> i've actually been stanning the boyz for a good 6-7 months now (rtk deobis make some noise) but due to the impending doom that are college deadlines, i haven't been uploading or writing much. however, this idea and these words are currently being fueled by cinnamon vanilla coffees at 2 am when i'm taking a break from typing up a lab report or literature review but i still want to keep my brain juices flowing. i hope you enjoy it! <3
> 
> be my friend, send me dms and more at my twt acc @ser4phs !


	2. Interlude 1: Hyunjae and Jacob

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyunjae finds himself in a bar with his thoughts and soon finds himself confronting a ghost as well. Only this ghost is from his past, and is very much made of flesh and blood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> remember our good friend hyunjae from the first chapter? well, he's getting his own backstory and subplot! as this story progresses, you will definitely see hyunjae and jacob more often, as they are close to juyeon and will help him as he goes. i hope you guys enjoy! - aj

Lee Hyunjae was known for his tolerance of many things. From the officers clocking in late to the most belligerent of criminals, Hyunjae could turn a blind eye to it all. This tolerance of things included his alcohol intake, and as Hyunjae sipped on his third Vieux Carre of the night, his eyes roving around the seedy bar that he frequented, he tuned out all the unnecessary noise of the place, only focusing on the bartender as he bantered with his customers and made drinks with a practiced ease that Hyunjae could only wish he could incorporate into his job as the head of the Special Operations Unit squadrons in Seoul.

Hyunjae had learned how to bartend, years and years ago, from a person who still left a bitter taste in his mouth even after all this time. He had learned how to measure and pour, mix and muddle, from someone who had been integral in his life for a while, but was no more than an extra in the play that was Hyunjae’s life. 

But even with the lack of them in his life, Hyunjae saw them whenever he let his normally sharp mind wander. If he closed his eyes, like he did now as he swished a sip of his drink along his tongue, he could imagine them in his arms, feel the brush of their lips across his temple and their gentle voice in his ear. 

Unfortunately, one cannot go through life with their eyes closed, and Hyunjae eventually had to open his own, blinking for a few seconds to adjust to the harsh light of the lamp above his head and the glinting of the various alcohol bottles that lined the shelves behind the bartender. He was so engrossed in reading the bottle labels that he didn’t notice the figure sliding into the barstool next to him, but the moment he heard the voice beside him, he nearly fell out of his seat in shock.

Sitting next to him, ordering something that could complement the sweetness of the cherry lollipop tucked between his teeth, was Jacob Bae, the man he saw behind closed eyelids during the day and in his dreams at night. Incidentally, Jacob was also his ex boyfriend whom he hadn’t seen for 5 years, and despite his effort not to look, his eyes drifted over to him, widening when he saw Jacob looking back at him with a look mirroring his.

The Jacob sitting before him was unlike the one from years ago. The last time Hyunjae saw him, his hair was a soft brown and his face was as round as the mochi bites he loved to snack on. Now, his hair was an inky black, and the roundness of his cheeks had given way to chiseled cheekbones and a defined jawline. Everything about him was so foreign, yet the bashful smile that he flashed Hyunjae’s way was so familiar that it made his heart ache. 

“I didn’t expect you of all people would be at this bar,” Jacob began casually, knocking the lollipop against his teeth with his tongue and watching how Hyunjae’s eyes followed his every move. Leaning his head on his elbow, he fixed Hyunjae with a look that screamed curiosity and danger, his eyes staying on him even when he received his drink of hard liquor. “Aren’t you the kind of person who doesn’t like dives like these? You always used to associate them with lowlives that were always looking for trouble.”

Hyunjae may have been shell shocked by the sight of his ex, but his mouth moved quicker than his brain did, spitting out a venom filled “And aren’t you the kind of person who hates alcohol? You could barely hold a shot of soju when we-” Hyunjae paused as his brain finally caught up, his face paling for a second before regaining its color. Taking a measured breath, he looked down at his whiskey glass, swirling the amber liquid around and focusing on it like he could glean the secrets of the universe from them. “You could barely hold down a shot of soju when we last saw each other,” He finished, his voice gentler than before and filled with a tinge of regret, even though it was too late for regret for the both of them.

Jacob studied Hyunjae’s profile for longer than he’d like to admit, the faint bitterness of his drink doing nothing to distract him from making his observations. Hyunjae had changed drastically in the years since they last spoke, and it made something in his chest tighten painfully and suck the air out of his lungs. 

Hyunjae’s hair used to be a soft blond, the color of sunflowers and the lemon bars he loved to eat by the boxful during their stint in the police academy, but now it was a dark and unfamiliar shade of brown, his natural curls straightened and laying flat on his head. His lips were chapped and pale, and his eyes lacked the mirth they had before, the shades of purple underneath them a reward from his taxing job. It was obvious that Hyunjae had grown up in the time Jacob hadn’t seen him.

Jacob had grown up too. Both of them grew up too quickly for the other to accept, and as they looked at each other again, trying to find the parts of each other that were familiar, it became increasingly hard to do so.

“People change, Hyunjae,” Jacob replied quietly, taking another sip of his drink and setting it down with a soft clink before looking down at his hands. “They change whether they like it or not.”

It was quiet between the two of them for a moment, the two men focusing on their drinks and their thoughts for a while. Finally, Hyunjae spoke, fully turning towards Jacob with his brow furrowed. “Where have you been this entire time?” He asked, a twinge of anger in his voice, even though he truly had no reason to be angry. “I searched for you everywhere, but I couldn’t find out where you were, and the agency said they couldn’t give me any information. What were you doing?”

“Jae, why are you angry?” Jacob responded calmly, turning towards Hyunjae with a perfectly neutral expression on his face, even though his blood boiled with annoyance. Hyunjae flinched at the use of the nickname; it had been years since anyone had called him that, and the nickname brought to mind too many memories that he didn’t want to remember. “The Korean government gave me a position, and I took it. That’s all. I was in Canada for the majority of the time, but there was probably an instance or two where we were in the same place at the same time and you never noticed me.” Jacob concluded, looking down at his glass again, his cheeks reddened from the alcohol.

Hyunjae could only huff in response as he downed the rest of his drink, wincing at the acrid burn that it left in his mouth. “You could’ve called me, you know. So I would know that you were at least safe.”

“Why would you want to know if I was safe, Hyunjae? ‘Out of sight, out of mind’. That’s what you said the last time I saw you, remember?” Jacob retorted, his voice rising an octave in frustration. “You can’t just tell me after 5 years that you were worried about me after all you put me through. You can’t take anything back, Hyunjae. Not even one word. So please don’t try acting like you care when in reality you were the thing that made me want to leave the most.”

“I didn’t mean it-“

“Right. If you didn’t mean it then we would still be together.” Jacob said curtly, sliding his drink away and fiddling with the chain around his neck, his fingertips gliding over the H shaped charm over and over again. He felt the familiar sting of tears behind his eyes, but he had felt it numerous times before, and at this point he didn’t have any more tears to cry in regards to Lee Hyunjae. “If you didn’t mean it we would still be living in that 2 bedroom flat in Gangnam. But unfortunately, I live in Itaewon, and you live in Seocho. And I have a lease that won’t be up for a while.” 

Hyunjae saw Jacob’s fingers, and noticed the glint of the charm around his neck. It reminded him of the chain around his own neck, the J shaped charm tucked securely underneath his shirt, next to his heart. And as he looked at Jacob and became aware of the way his shoulders shook and his eyes became tinged with red, the weight of the charm on his chest burned into his skin like a red hot brand. 

There were only a few feet separating the two of them, and all Hyunjae wanted to do was cross those few feet and traverse the 5 year gap between them and pull Jacob into his arms. He wanted to have everything return to how it was, back to when the only tension between the two of them was when they disagreed on what to have for dinner. Their relationship was beautiful from the start, simple and gentle and full of sweet nothings and loaded promises that both were sure they would keep. But then life got in the way, and what was simple became complicated, and eventually oppressive for the both of them. In the end, Hyunjae said things that, as Jacob said, he couldn’t take back, and Jacob left his side.

Hyunjae was so engrossed in thinking about the past that he didn’t notice Jacob grabbing his drink and downing it, but the soft click of glass against the bar counter brought him out of his reverie. Jacob was collecting his coat and slinging it over his shoulders, and as he straightened out the collar and began zipping it up, Hyunjae could only stare, his lips moving faster than his brain yet again. “Where are you going?”

“Home, Hyunjae,” Jacob sighed, sliding some money across the counter to pay for his drink and giving Hyunjae a look that he couldn’t decipher. “I have to rest for my first day back on the force tomorrow,” He continued, pausing for a moment as he turned away before looking back to Hyunjae, the undecipherable look melting into a sad fondness that made Hyunjae’s heart twist painfully in his chest. “I also have to get someone off my mind.”

Hyunjae’s eyes widened in realization, his alcohol soaked brain somehow as sharp as ever, but by the time he had collected his thoughts, Jacob was gone, the tinkling of the bell at the door and the scent of his mint and vanilla cologne the only things hinting at his presence in the bar. 

(Hyunjae wouldn’t tell anyone this, but as soon as he managed to get home he collapsed on his couch and cried his heart out, clutching the J shaped charm around his neck like it was some kind of talisman that could keep the overwhelming pain away.)

(And on the other side of town, a teary eyed Jacob sat in front of his computer, the fingers of one hand running across the H shaped charm hanging from his neck while the other hand typed out an email, requesting for him to be transferred to the Special Operations Unit starting from the next day.)


End file.
